Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have reached a historic milestone as “Rein Me In” spends its 16th week at the summit, becoming the longest-running No. 1 single by a British act in U.K. chart history (dated July 10).
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The collab overtakes Wet Wet Wet‘s “Love Is All Around,” which held the record for more than 30 years after spending 15 weeks at No. 1 in 1994. The song also draws level with Bryan Adams‘ 1991 hit “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”’ as the joint second longest-running No. 1 single of all time on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, behind Frankie Laine’s “I Believe,” which topped the chart for 18 weeks in 1953.
The achievement marks another remarkable chapter in the run of “Rein Me In.” Released more than a year ago, the duet took 35 weeks from its chart debut to reach No. 1, setting a record for the longest climb to the summit when it finally topped the chart in February.
“Rein Me In” first appeared on Fender’s Mercury Prize-winning 2025 album People Watching, and was remixed last summer with a new verse from Dean. It later triumphed in the public-voted song of the year category at the 2026 BRIT Awards.
Speaking on the achievement Fender told the Official Charts Company said, “It’s been ridiculous! Every Friday, it’s been an excuse to party. Take that, Marti Pellow! Olivia putting the alternative narrative on it made the song really universal – that opened the floodgates. There’s two sides to the story. And, it’s a toe tapper! It’s officially a banger!”
Ben Mortimer, president, Polydor Label Group (Sam Fender’s label), said: “From the beginning, we knew that ‘Rein Me In’ had a rare quality, so it was important to give it the space and support needed to grow. Watching it build has been incredibly rewarding – that kind of sustained success doesn’t happen by accident, it takes brilliant artists and a dedicated team. Breaking a record that has stood for more than 30 years is a remarkable achievement for Sam and Olivia and we are incredibly proud to have played a part.”
Jo Charrington, president of Dean’s home of Capitol U.K., added: “This is the duet of the decade. What Olivia and Sam have achieved with ‘Rein Me In’ is incredibly special. To see Olivia’s voice and artistry connect with people on this scale, alongside an artist as brilliant as Sam, has been wonderful to watch.”
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Stupid Song” stays at No. 2, followed by Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me” at No. 3. Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” lands at No. 4 and Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” lifts four spots to No. 5.
